Egg-tester.



W. RIGLING.,

EGG TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED IIEB. 8, 1912.

1,066,050. Patented July 1, 1913.

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W. RIGLING.

EGG TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED nma. 1912.

1,066,050. I Patented July 1, 1913.

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WILLIAM BIGLING, OF HAMILTON, OHIO.

EGG-TESTER.

T 0 all whom 2'15 may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM RIGLING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Egg-Testers, of which the following is aspecification.

This inven tion pertains mainly to improvements in the egg tester setforth in United States Letters Patent No. 940,361 granted to me November16th, 1909, it being understood, however, that not all of the featuresherein set forth are necessarily founded upon the disclosures of saidpatent.

The present improvements are designed to facilitate the proper testingof a reasonable number of eggs at one time without having one eggintercept the pro-per view of another; to lessen the necessity forturning the eggs during inspection; to provide for such degree of safetyagainst fire as will satisfy underwriters requirements; to pro.- videfor the tester being employed either as a hanging or as a standingstructure; to increase the facility for testing under conditionsrendering it impracticable to secure the desired degree of darkness inthe testing room; to provide that the tester when not in use as a testermay be employed as an illuminating fixture; and to provide for readysubstitution of egg-receiving cells as they become damaged.

The invention will be readily understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 isa plan of the tester: Fig. 2 a horizontal section of the tester in theplane of line (a of Fig. 3: Fig. 3 a vertical section of thetester inthe plane of line 7) of Figs. 3 and 4: Fig. 4 a plan of one of theegg-receiving cells, shown partly in horizontal section in the plane ofline 0 of Figs. 3 and 5: Fig. 5 a diametrical section, on a very muchenlarged scale, of one of the eggreceiving cells in the plane of line Zof Figs. 1 and 4 Fig. 6 a front elevation of the separablebase-structure for use with the tester when the tester is to be employedas a standing structure: Fig. 7 a side elevation of the base-structure:Fig. 8 a plan of the base-structure: Fig. 9 a plan of the separablecanopy for use with the tester when the tester is to be employed in aroom not satis- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 8, 1912.

Patented July 1, 1913. Serial No. 676,273.

factorily dark: and Fig. 10 a vertical section of the canopy in theplane of line 6 of Fig. 9.

In the drawings :1, indicates a backpiece: 3, a bracketed light holderprojecting from the front of the backpiece and adapted to receive anysuitable light-giving agent having a base adapted to the holder, theillustration showing an ordinary coal-oil lamp as the light-givingagent: at, the lamp just referred to, the same being so supported by thelight holder as to stand some distance forward of the backpiece and atthe center of width thereof: 5, a vertical wall disposed forward of andparallel with and at some distance from the backpiece 1 and joinedthereto by side-walls: 5 an alcove in the forward wall 5 to receive thelighting device, the relation of the wall 5 to the light-holder 3 beingsuch that the center of the lamp or other lighting device will besubstantially in the vertical plane of wall 5, the front surface of thewall of alcove 5 being formed as a reflecting surface: 6, a chimney-hoodconcentrically surrounding the axis of the lamp and forming an upwardprolongation of the alcove: 7, a back-flue disposed between the alcoveand the backpiece, and open at its top and bottom: 8, a side flue ateach side of the alcove, these side flues being formed by the front wall5 and the side walls joining the same and by diagonal walls extendingfrom the side extremities of the backpiece to the alcove, these sideflues being triangular in cross-section and open throughout theirlength: 10, a wall of perforated metal disposed parallel to but somelittle distance from wall 5 and extending from a point at or above wall5 down to a point just above ledge 9: 11, a hinge uniting one edge ofperforated wall 10 to one side extremity of wall 5, the hinge being atthat side of the alcove farthest from ledge 9: 12, a semi-frusto conicalreflector with its large end upward, this reflector being connected withand ultimately supported by hinged wall 10, the lower portion of thereflector being gap Rd to straddle the lamp, the side edges of thereflector closing against wall 5 when the vise is closed: 14, aforwardly projecting bay formed in perforated hinged wall 10, this baybeing adapted to straddle chimney-hood 6 and being also perforated, itbeing understood that forward wall 5 of the fixed structure is alsoformed with a bay projecting forwardly to straddle the chimney-hood, thebay in the perforated wall being, when the device is closed, at somelittle distance from the bay of wall 5: 15, a latch cooperating with thefixed structure and the hinged structure at the edges thereof farthestfrom the hinge: 16, a shelf projecting forwardly from perforated wall 10and supported thereby and having its rear edge conforming to perforatedwall 10 and the walls of its bay, the front edge of the shelf beingsemi-circular to conform with the semi-circle of the upper edge of thereflector, this shelf being provided with an arc of egg-receivingapertures, six apertures being shown in the illustration: 17 a pair ofmirrors secured against the front face of perforated wall 10, one ateach side of the bay thereof: 18, a mirror secured against the frontface of the front wall 14: of the bay of the hinged structure: 19, acurtain of perforated metal surrounding the front edge of shelf 16, itbeing understood that some distance inward from this perforated wall isa curved wall joining shelf 16 to the upper edge of the reflector: 20, aperforated semi-frusto conical wall secured exterior to and at somelittle distance from the reflector: 21, the series of egg-receivingcells in shelf 16, which has been before referred to, this series ofcells being in the form of an are: 22, a perforated super-shelf disposedover and at some little distance from shelf 16 and provided withegg-receiving openings corresponding with those in shelf 16 below it:28, a ring of thin metal of a size adapted for the proper reception andsupport of an egg to be tested, this ring being substantiallysemi-circular in crosssection and open at its base, there being one ofthese rings for each of the egg-receiving cells in the shelves: 24, afelt jacket covering the exterior of ring 23: 25, a serrated flange uponthe base of the exterior of ring 23, this flange extending outwardly atrifle and then being bent upwardly and inwardly so that its serrationsare indented into the base of the outside portion of the felt: 26, asimilar serrated flange upon the inner wall of ring 23, the serrationsof this flange engaging in a similar manner with the base of the innerportion of the felt, the inner wall of ring 23 being of such diameter asto enter the egg-receiving openings in shelf 16 while the outer wall ofthe ring rests upon the surface of the shelf around the egg-receivingopening therein: 27, prongs, illustrated as three in number, project-ingfrom the inner wall of ring 23 and bent up under the shelf to hold thefelt covered ring firmly to the shelf: and 28, in Fig. 7, a dotted lineshowing one of the prongs before it is bent up under the shelf.

Eggs are often tested in compartments, and dark compartments, litteredup with straw or other egg-packing combustible material, introducingelements of danger into ordinary egg-testing devices. It is to beobserved that in the present case the flue system and double wall systemand perforated wall system provide for such peculiarly free circulationof air as to practically avoid the possibility of the metal of thestructure, or the immediately surrounding atmosphere, becoming so hot asto do damage. V

The egg-supporting shelf 16 and the reflector 12 are particularly liableto get seriously hot. The perforated outer wall 20 of the reflector, andthe perforated supershelf 22 serve in forming ventilating air pas sagesexterior to these hot surfaces and at the same time guarding these hotsurfaces from being reached by combustible litter.

lVhen the device is swung open, the fixed portion of the structure formsan illuminating fixture, well ventilated forthe sake of safety, and thealcove 5 forming a good reflector. The device may be thus openedtemporarily when attention is to be given to the lighting agent or whensome light is wanted in the testing room, or it may be .left open forlonger periods of time when testing is not going on and light is wanted.

While the lighting agent is illustrated as an ordinary coal-oil lampfitting the holder 3. it will of course be understood that a gas burneror an incandescent electric lamp provided with a base adapted to theholder may be substituted for the coal-oil lamp.

The device having been closed up, the eggs to be tested are to be set inthe egg-receiving cells and tested by sight, the arrangement of the arcof egg-receiving cells and mirrors being set so that a satisfactory viewcan be obtained of all portions of all eggs, no one egg seriouslyinterfering with the satis factory view of any of the other eggs, and noturning of the eggs being required.

It is to be observed that the egg-receiving felt-covered rings aresecured to shelf 16 and that they project up through perforatedsuper-shelf 22, the felt-covered rings fairly fitting the openings inthe super-shelf. In the course of continued test-ing, the felt jacketsof the egg-receiving cells become worn and ragged and requirereplacement, and in the present case this is done, not by replacing thejackets upon the rings, but by substituting new felt-covered rings.These felt-covered rings are very economically produced by machineryand, it being necessary to replace a worn ring, the prongs 27 are to bebent down so that the felt covered ring may be removed so as to permit anew felt-covered ring to be placed and its ill The general structure, asthus far described, is adapted to be supported by being secured againsta vertical surface. In case itbe desired to employ the device on ahorizontal surface then the base-structiu'e illustrated in Figs. 6, 7,and 8 is employed. In these figurcs:-29, indicates a flat hello-w baseadapted to rest upon the table or shelf or other horizontal surfacewhich is to support the tester: 30, a pair of hollow uprights projectingfrom the base and adapted to separably enter the bases of fines 8 of thetesterstructure: and 31, match-holders projecting from the bases of theuprights 30.

The uprights 30 are of the same crosssection as flues 8 and their upperportions are tapered so that they will readily enter the bases of fines8, and the uprights are provided with beads to form stops to limit thedescent of the tester-structure upon the supporting base. hen thissupporting base is in use the open character of the ventilat ing fluesof the tester-structure is not interfered with, the supportingbase-structure as well as the tester structure being therefore wellprovided with protective ventilation when used together.

If the tester be employed in a testing room in which a satisfactorydegree of darkness is not present, then the canopy illustrated in Figs.11 and 12 may be employed in conjunction with the tester. In thesefigures :32, indicates a chimney-extension adapted to have its baseenter and be supported by the top of chimney-hood 6: 33, a wallprojecting from each side of the chimney extension and adapted to restupon and match wall 5 of the tester when the canopy is in position uponthe tester: 3d, a back flue to the rear of wall 33, this back-flue beingformed by wall 33 and by a back-wall and connecting side walls whichrest upon and match back wall 1 and the side walls of flues 8 when thecanopy is in place upon the tester: and a canopy having its top securedto the chimney extension and having its side edges joined to walli83,the skirt of the canopy being of suchform and dimension as to encirclethe arc of egg receiving cells but at such distance above the eggssupported by the shelf as not to interfere with the proper view of theeggs while being tested, and the skirt is preferably to be at suchheight, relative to the hingedstruo ture, that the hinged portion of thetester may be swung open withoutremoring the canopy. While the canopydoes not shut out all external light it does practically shut out allotherwise seriously interfering light coming from points above the levelof the canopy. The tester may be employed with the supportingbasestructure alone or with the canopy alone or with both thebasestructure and the canopy, and the base structure and the canopy arereadily at-.

tachable to and separable from the base structure without the necessityfor manipulating any fastenings.

I claim 1. An tester comprisig, a backpiece, a forward wall paralleltherewith and united thereto by side-walls and provided with areflecting alcove in its front, said backpiece and walls forming avertical flue open at top and bottom, a light holder supported by thestructure below the alcove in the forward wall, a lighting agentdisposed in said alcove and supported by said holder, and a shelfprovided with egg-receiving cells supported in front of said forwardwall above the level of the lighting agent, combined substantially asset forth.

2. An egg tester comprising, a backpiece, a forward wall paralleltherewith and united thereto by sidewalls and provided with a reflectingalcove in its front, said backpiece and walls forming a vertical flueopen at top and bottom, vertical walls cxtending diagonally from thesides of the alcove to the sides of the backpiece and dividing said flueinto a back portion and two side portions, a light holder supported bythe structure below the alcove in the forward wall, a lighting agentdisposed in said alcove and supported by said holder, and a shelfprovided with egg-receiving cells supported in front of said forwardwall above the level of the lighting agent, combined substantially asset forth.

3. An egg tester comprising, a backpiece, a light holder bracketedforwardly therefrom, a lighting agent removably supported in saidholder, a shelf supported by said backpiece and provided with a seriesof eggreceiving cells disposed above and around said lighting agent, anda semi-fruste conical reflector disposed below said shelf and around thelighting agent, combined substantially as set forth.

d. An egg tester con'iprising, a backpiece, a light holder bracketedforwardly therefrom, a lighting agent removably supported in saidholder, a shelf supported by said backpiece and provided with a seriesof receiving cells disposed above and around said lighting agent, and asemi-frusto conical reflector disposed below and supported by said.shelf and around the lighting agent, combined substantially as setforth.

An egg tester comprising, a backpiece, a lighting agent supportedtiereby, a shelf disposed in front of and around the lightin agent andprovided with a series of egg receiving cells, a hinge supported by thebackpiece and connected with the shelf to permit the shelf to be swungupon a vertiuil axis, and a latch for holding the shelf in normalposition, combined substantially as set forth.

6. An egg tester comprising, a lighting &

agent, a wall disposed above the lighting agent, a mirror supported bysaid wall at each side of and above the lighting agent, a mirrorsupported by said wall in a plane forward of the first mentionedmirrors, and a shelf disposed below and forward of said mirrors andprovided with a series of receiving cells extending around the for wardmirror, combined substantially as forth.

7. An egg tester con'iprising, a holder for a lighting agent, a lightingagent supported thereby, a shelf disposed in front of and above thelighting agent and provided with a series of egg-receiving cells, and ahinge and latch uniting the shelf to the supporting agent, so combinedas to admit of being used for illuminating purposes. i

8. An egg tester comprising, a holder for a lighting agent, a lightingagent supported thereby, a shelf disposed in front of and above thelighting agent and provided with a series of egg-receiving cells, ahinge and latch uniting the shelf to the supporting agent, and a mirrorfixed to the shelf to the rear of the egg-receiving cells and movingwith the shelf upon its hinge, combined substantially as set forth.

9. An egg-tester comprising, a holder for a lighting agent, a lightingagent supported thereby, a shelf disposed above the lighting agent andprovided with a curved series of egg-receiving cells, a mirror supportedby said shelf to the rear of each extremity of the series of cells, amirror supported by the shelf forward of said two mirrors, and a hingeand latch uniting the shelf and mirror structure to said support,combined substantially as set forth.

10. An egg tester comprising, two mirrors in a common plane, a mirrordisposed between and forward of said two mirrors, a shelf disposed belowand forward of said mirrors and provided with a curved series ofegg-receiving cells, and a lighting agent disposed below said shelf andto the rear of the middle mirror, combined substantially as set forth.

11. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure having a verticalwall, a lightin g agent supported by said structure, a perfo "ated wallforward of and separated from said vertical wall and above the lightingagent, a mirror forward of said perforated wall, and a shelf disposedforward of and below the mirror and provided with a series ofegg-receiving cells, combined substantially as set forth.

12. An tester comprising, a supporting structure having a vertical wall,a light ing agent supported by said structure, a perforated wall forwardof and separated from said vertical wall, a forwardly projecting bay insaid perforated wall, a mirror supported on the front wall of said bay,

mirrors supported on the perforated wall at each side of the bay andabove the lighting agent, and a shelf disposed forward of and below themirror and provided with a series of egg-receiving cells, combinedsubstantially as set forth.

13. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure for a lightingagent, a lighting agent supported thereby, a shelf supported by saidstructure forward of and above and independent of the lighting agent andprovided with a series of egg-receiving cells, a scmifrusto conicalreflector disposed around the lighting agent below the shelf, and asemi-frusto conical perforated wall around but separated from thereflector, combined substantially as set forth.

14. An egg tester comprising, a holder for a lighting agent, a lightingagent supported thereby, a shelf disposed around and above the lightingagent, a semi-frusto conical reflector around the lighting agent belowthe shelf, and a perforated super-shelf disposed above said shelf,combined substantially as set forth.

15. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure provided with aplurality of vertical. flues open at top and bottom, a lighting agentsupported by said structure, a shelf disposed forward. of and above'thelighting agent and provided with a series of egg-receiving cells, and areflector disposed forward of the lighting agent and below the shelf,combined substantially as set forth. i

An egg tester comprising, a hollow rii'ig of substantially semi-circularcontour, a felt jacket cove-ring said ring, a flange on and exterior tosaid ring and having inwardly presenting serrations engaging the base ofthe felt jacket thereon, a flange on and interior of said ring andhaving inwardly presenting serrations engaging the base of the innerportion of the felt jacket, a shelf having an opening adapted to thering, and means for securing the ring separably in the opening in theshelf, combined substantially as set forth.

17. An egg tester comprising, a hollow ring of substantiallysemi-circular contour, a felt jacket covering said ring, a flange on andexterior to said ring and having in wardly presenting serrationsengaging the base of the felt jacket thereon, a flange on and interiorofsaid ring and having in wardly presenting serrations engaging the baseof the inner portion of the felt jacket, a shelf having an openingadapted to the ring, and prongs extending from the inner portion of thering and bent outwardly under the shelf to secure the ring separably tothe shelf, combined substantially as set forth.

18. An egg tester comprising, a hollow ring, a felt jacket thereon,serrated flanges outside and inside the ring to serve in securing thefelt jacket thereto, and prongs projecting from the inner portion of thering to serve in securing the ring in an opening in an egg-supportingshelf, combined substantially as set forth.

19. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure formed withvertical flues open at top and bottom, a lighting agent supportedthereby, a shelf attached to the supporting agent and disposed above andforward of the lighting agent and provided with a series ofegg-receiving apertures, and mirrors disposed above the shelf to therear of the egg-receiving apertures, combined substantially as setforth.

20. An egg tester comprising, a support ing structure formed withvertical fines open at top and bottom, a lighting agent sup portedthereby, a shelf hinged and latched to the supporting agent and disposedabove and forward of the lighting agent and provided with a series ofegg-receiving apertures, and mirrors disposed above the shelf to therear of the egg-receiving apertures, combined substantially as setforth.

21. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure provided withvertical Hues open at top and bottom, a lighting agent supportedthereby, a shelf disposed above and forward. of the lighting agent andformed with a lower wall and a perforated upper wall and provided with aseries of egg-receiving cells, and a semi-frusto conical reflectordisposed below the shelf and forward of the lighting agent and formedwith an inner reflecting wall and a perforated outer wall, combinedsubstantially as set forth. 22. An egg tester comprising, a supportingstructure for a lighting agent, a lighting agent supported thereby, achimneyhood supported by said structure over the lighting agent, a shelfsupported by said structure at the front of and above the lighting agentand provided with a series of eggreceiving cells, a chimney extensionadapted for separable connection with the top of the chimney-hood, and acanopy carried by the chimney extension and projecting out over theshelf, combined substantially as set forth.

23. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure formed withvertical flues open at top and bottom, a lighting agent supportedthereby, a shelf supported by said structure at the front of and abovethe lighting agent and provided with a series of eg -receivingapertures, a canopy disposed above the shelf, a flue carried by thecanopy at its rear and forming upward prolongations of the fiues of thesupporting structure, and means for separably connecting the canopy withthe supporting structure, combined substantially as set forth.

2%. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure, a lighting agentsupported thereby, a shelf hinged to the supporting structure above thelighting agent and provided with a series of egg-receiving cells, amirror carried by the shelf and projecting upwardly therefrom to therear of the eggreceiving cells, and a canopy supported by saidsupporting structure and projecting over the shelf and having its skirtabove the top of the mirror, whereby the shelf and mirror structure canbe swung open upon its hinge without removing the canopy, combinedsubstantially as set forth.

25. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure having a backpieceadapted for attachment to a vertical surface, a lighting agent carriedthereby, a shelf supported by said structure at the front of and abovethe lighting agent and provided with a series of egg-receiving cells,and a base structure separably connected with said supporting structureand adapted to support the apparatus upon a horizontal surface, combinedsubstantially as set forth.

26. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure formed withvertical flues open at top and bottom, a lighting agent supportedthereby, a shelf disposed at the front of and above the lighting agentand provided with a series of egg-receiving cells, and a base-structureconnected with said supporting structure and provided with verticalfines connected with the fines of the supporting structure, combinedsubstantially as set forth.

27. An egg tester comprising, a supporting structure formed withvertical flues open at top and bottom, a lighting agent supportedthereby, a shelf disposed at the front of and above the lighting agentand provided with a series of egg-receiving cells, and a separable basestructure having hollow uprights adapted to have their upper ends enterthe lower ends of fines in the supporting structure, combinedsubstantially as set forth.

WILLIAM RIGLING.

WVitnesses M. S. BELDEN, H. M. Mrtnnns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

